KR102313563B1 - Chemical mechanical polishing system capable of diverse polishing processes - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wafer processing system, comprising: a wafer carrier that moves while holding a wafer; a first guide rail arranged in a path through which the wafer held in the wafer carrier passes through a first polishing plate, the wafer carrier being movable; a second guide rail arranged in a path through which the wafer held in the wafer carrier passes through a second polishing plate, the wafer carrier being movable; a third guide rail arranged between the first guide rail and the second guide rail to allow the wafer carrier to move; a first connecting rail connecting a first position spaced apart from one end of the first guide rail and a second position spaced apart from one end of the second guide rail; Can accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail, and reciprocally move along the first connection rail while accommodating the wafer carrier A carrier that is installed and moved to a position where the wafer carrier accommodated while reciprocating along the first connection rail can come and go with any one of the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail holder; Provided is a wafer processing system capable of performing various polishing processes in various manners according to the type of wafer in one arrangement structure that includes and occupies a predetermined space.

Description

A wafer processing system that can handle various wafer polishing processes {CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING SYSTEM CAPABLE OF DIVERSE POLISHING PROCESSES}

The present invention relates to a wafer processing system, and more particularly, to a wafer processing system that has a single arrangement structure and can perform various polishing processes as needed, while minimizing space occupied in a production line to maximize space efficiency will be.

As a semiconductor device is manufactured by integrating fine circuit lines with high density, a corresponding precision polishing is performed on the wafer surface. In order to polish the wafer more precisely, a chemical mechanical polishing process (CMP process) in which not only mechanical polishing but also chemical polishing is performed is performed.

In recent years, various polishing processes are performed on one wafer to precisely control the thickness of the polishing layer. In order to perform various polishing processes, a wafer processing system of a type in which a wafer moves through a plurality of polishing plates has been proposed.

According to Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-13384, a wafer carrier moves along a circular guide rail with a wafer mounted thereon, and various polishing processes are performed on a plurality of polishing plates arranged along the guide rail. This is disclosed. However, since various polishing processes are performed while the wafer carrier sequentially moves along one guide rail, the various polishing processes that can be performed in one arrangement structure are limited to one or a type of omitting some polishing platens. There was a problem limited to various polishing processes.

In addition, according to Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-65464, a wafer is mounted on a rotatable head of a carousel, and various polishing processes are performed on a predetermined polishing platen in order while the carousel rotates. However, in this configuration as well, since the movement path of the wafer is determined only by the rotation of the carousel, various polishing processes that can be performed in one arrangement structure are limited to one or various polishing processes of a type in which a part of the polishing plate is omitted. There was a limit that could only be limited to .

On the other hand, since the chemical mechanical polishing process as described above is used to planarize the surface of the polishing layer of the wafer, a relatively hard material such as polyurethane is used for the polishing pad used in the polishing process. Such a planarization process will be referred to as a main polishing process.

However, since the main polishing process performed on a hard material polishing pad may cause defects on the polishing surface of the wafer, recently, after the main polishing process, the main polishing process is performed on a polishing pad using a lower hardness compared to that performed in the main polishing process. Attempts have been made to minimize defects on the polished surface of a wafer by performing a buffing polishing process in which polishing is performed to a smaller thickness in a short period of time.

However, the buffing polishing process of finishing polishing the polished surface of the wafer in a state without damage may also be performed by various processes depending on the state of the wafer. That is, the buffing process may vary depending on the type of wafer or the chemical mechanical polishing process parameters performed. Typically, the buffing process is completed in one step, but the polishing surface of the wafer is finished by the two-step buffing process.

However, when the buffing process is performed using the conventional chemical mechanical polishing system disclosed in Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-13384 and Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-65464, not only the equipment becomes excessively complicated, but also the following The process of transferring to the cleaning unit is complicated, and the polishing process is not performed independently of each other, so there is a limit in controlling the parameters of the polishing process.

The present invention was conceived under the above technical background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wafer processing system capable of performing various polishing processes in various methods according to the type of wafer in one arrangement structure occupying a predetermined space.

Above all, the present invention can be specifically applied to a buffing polishing process that performs finish polishing in a state free from defects on the polishing surface of the wafer, and various types of polishing processes can be performed according to the type and thickness of the polishing layer deposited on the wafer. aimed at making it possible.

Through this, while minimizing the space occupied by the semiconductor manufacturing line, it is an object to perform various polishing processes according to the state or type of the wafer.

Further, an object of the present invention is to prevent contamination of the inverter by performing a preliminary cleaning process before transferring the wafer subjected to the polishing process to the inverting device that is turned 180 degrees before being transferred to the cleaning process.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a wafer carrier that moves while holding the wafer; a first guide rail arranged in a path through which the wafer held in the wafer carrier passes through a first polishing plate, the wafer carrier being movable; a second guide rail arranged in a path through which the wafer held in the wafer carrier passes through a second polishing plate, the wafer carrier being movable; a third guide rail arranged between the first guide rail and the second guide rail to allow the wafer carrier to move; a first connecting rail connecting a first position spaced apart from one end of the first guide rail and a second position spaced apart from one end of the second guide rail; Can accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail, and reciprocally move along the first connection rail while accommodating the wafer carrier A carrier that is installed and moved to a position where the wafer carrier accommodated while reciprocating along the first connection rail can come and go with any one of the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail holder; It provides a wafer processing system, characterized in that it comprises.

In this case, the wafer carrier moves along a path consisting of the first guide rail, the second guide rail, and the connection rail, the third guide rail is formed in the central part, and the connection rail has two carrier holders capable of accommodating the wafer carrier, respectively. This is to allow the wafer to undergo various polishing processes while being installed in one arrangement structure as it is movably arranged so that the two polishing plates can cross each other or move sequentially through the third guide rail. .

In addition, since the third guide rail is provided between the first guide rail and the second guide rail, the wafer carrier is used as a temporary loading place for temporarily placing the wafer carrier on the third guide rail from the carrier holder, so that the wafer carriers are different carriers It is also possible to move from one end to the end of the connecting rail while changing the holder.

And, as the guide rail and the connection rail are not connected to each other, and the wafer carrier is accommodated in the carrier holder and moves along the connection rail by the movement of the carrier holder, the movement path between the guide rail and the connection rail is each Since it is possible to move smoothly even in a binary case, it is possible to form a path through which the wafer carrier can move in a narrower space.

As described above, the present invention enables various polishing processes to be performed on a wafer using a wafer processing system installed in a single batch structure, thereby performing various polishing processes according to the type or thickness of the polishing layer deposited on the wafer. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain the effect that various polishing processes can be performed in various ways according to the state or type of the wafer while minimizing the space occupied by the semiconductor manufacturing line.

Here, the carrier holder may include: a first connecting rail connecting a first position spaced apart from one end of the first guide rail and a second position spaced apart from one end of the second guide rail; It can accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the first guide rail and the third guide rail, and is installed to be reciprocally moved along the first connection rail in a state in which the wafer carrier is accommodated, and the first a first carrier holder that moves to a position where the wafer carrier accommodated while reciprocating along the connecting rail can move to either one of the first guide rail and the third guide rail; It can accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the third guide rail and the second guide rail, and is installed to be reciprocally moved along the first connection rail in a state in which the wafer carrier is accommodated, and the first The wafer carrier accommodated while reciprocating along the connecting rail may be installed in two as a second carrier holder that moves to a position where it can move to either one of the third guide rail and the second guide rail.

Through this, even if the wafer is moved after the polishing process is simultaneously performed on the first and second polishing plates, it is possible to move the wafer through the third guide rail using different first and second carrier holders. . However, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the two carrier holders do not have to be installed on one connecting rail, and even if the polishing process is simultaneously performed on the first and second polishing plates, one carrier holder moves. It is also possible to alternately move the wafer while doing so.

Similar to the configuration of the first connecting rail, a second connecting rail connecting a third position spaced apart from the other end of the first guide rail and a fourth position spaced apart from the other end of the second guide rail; It can accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail, and is installed to be reciprocally movable along the second connection rail in a state where the wafer carrier is accommodated. Another carrier holder that moves to a position where the wafer carrier accommodated while reciprocating along the second connection rail can move to any one of the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail Further, it may be configured to form a path in which the first guide rail, the second guide rail, and the third guide rail can move without the first connection rail and the second connection rail being attached to each other.

In this case, another carrier holder may accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the first guide rail and the third guide rail, and reciprocate along the second connection rail in a state in which the wafer carrier is accommodated. A third carrier holder that is movably installed and moves to a position where the wafer carrier accommodated while reciprocating along the second connection rail moves to a position where it can come and go with any one of the first guide rail and the third guide rail Wow; It can accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the third guide rail and the second guide rail, and is installed to be reciprocally movable along the second connection rail while accommodating the wafer carrier, and the second Two or more fourth carrier holders, in which the wafer carrier accommodated while reciprocating along the connecting rail moves from the second branching position to a position where it can come and go with any one of the third guide rail and the second guide rail can be composed of

In addition, a loading unit for supplying a wafer to be polished and an unloading unit for discharging the wafer on which the polishing process has been performed are disposed in the path of the second connection rail, the third carrier holder and the fourth carrier holder It may be configured to load or unload wafers into a moving wafer carrier by a

Above all, a pre-cleaning device for pre-cleaning the wafer, which has been subjected to various polishing processes, is provided before being supplied to the unloading unit, so that the wafer is cleaned by the wafer with abrasive particles or slurry during the polishing process. It is possible to prevent contamination of the inverter in the process of turning it 180 degrees with the inverter to put it into the Accordingly, it is possible to continuously perform a wafer polishing process by reducing the time required for maintenance of the inverter.

In this case, the preliminary cleaning apparatus may be formed of any one of a megasonic cleaner and a nozzle spray cleaner. In the case of a megasonic cleaner, high-frequency megasonic energy is delivered to the sprayed cleaning liquid to vibrate the cleaning liquid to create an acoustic stream of a powerful fluid, and the cleaning liquid in the acoustic stream collides with the substrate to remove contaminant particles on the substrate. , there is an advantage in that even small contaminant particles can be reliably removed.

Through this, it is possible to prevent the inverter from being contaminated from the contaminated wafer during the polishing process during the process of turning the wafer 180 degrees by the inverter in the unloading unit.

Meanwhile, permanent magnets of N poles and S poles are alternately arranged on the wafer carrier, and the wafer carrier may move without a driving motor by current control of a coil disposed along a movement path. As described above, since the driving motor is not provided in the wafer carrier, it can move while maintaining a lighter state.

And, when the wafer carrier reaches a position where the polishing process is performed, a docking unit is docked to the wafer carrier, and at least one of a driving force for rotationally driving the wafer and pneumatic pressure required to press the wafer is applied to the wafer carrier. It can be configured to be delivered.

However, in a direction in which the docking unit approaches the wafer carrier in a path in which the wafer carrier moves along the first guide rail, and in a path in which the wafer carrier moves along the second guide rail, the docking unit moves the wafer carrier along the second guide rail. Since the approaching directions are opposite to each other, the docking unit is positioned outside the first guide rail and the second guide rail, thereby reducing the gap between the first guide rail and the second guide rail, thereby realizing a more compact structure. In this way, when the wafer carrier moves in a non-rotating state, the positions of the docking units installed on the first guide rail and the second guide rail are installed on opposite sides with respect to the guide rail, so that the wafer carrier has a surface perpendicular to the traveling direction. Two docking surfaces are formed so that the docking unit can be coupled to the two surfaces.

In the wafer processing system according to the present invention configured as described above, at least one of the polishing processes performed by the first polishing platen and the second polishing platen may be a chemical mechanical polishing process or a buffing polishing process. However, since the chemical mechanical polishing process preferably goes through two or more polishing steps, in the present invention configured as described above, the buffing and polishing process is performed individually or continuously in two or more steps on the first polishing platen and the second polishing platen, respectively. It is preferable to

In this case, in the buffing polishing process, it is preferable to use a polishing pad made of a material having a lower hardness than that of a polyurethane material used in the chemical mechanical polishing process.

In addition, the wafer processing system according to the present invention includes a first cleaning module that receives a wafer subjected to a polishing process and performs contact cleaning using a rotating cleaning brush, and a second cleaning module that sprays a cleaning solution in a tornado to clean the wafer a cleaning unit sequentially passing through a cleaning module, a third cleaning module for spraying both pure water and carbon dioxide, and a fourth cleaning module for rinsing and drying the wafer using the IPA liquid layer; It includes more.

In this way, in a state where the buffing process is completed and the polished surface of the wafer is polished without damage, contact cleaning is performed with a cleaning brush to first remove foreign substances attached to the polishing surface of the wafer, and a cleaning solution in the form of a whirlpool is applied to the polishing surface. After removing small foreign substances from the wafer by spraying, pure water and non-reactive carbon dioxide are sprayed together to remove the deposits on the wafer surface in a non-ionized state, so that the polishing surface of the wafer can be completely cleaned. Then, the surface of the wafer is dried in a short time by immersing the wafer in a cleaning solution and rinsing it, and then discharging it while passing through the IPA solution layer. Through this, it becomes possible to quickly and cleanly clean and dry the surface of the wafer subjected to the polishing process.

At this time, the cleaning unit includes first and second cleaning units arranged in two rows side by side on the first and second polishing platens, respectively, and the wafer has been polished by the first polishing plate according to the process. It is possible to separate the wafers subjected to the polishing process on the second polishing platen and process the cleaning and drying processes simultaneously.

In the wafer processing system according to the present invention configured as described above, a polishing process is performed on a first wafer mounted on the wafer carrier on the first polishing plate while the wafer carrier moves along the first guide rail; The wafer carrier moves from the first guide rail to the first carrier holder of the first connecting rail, so that the wafer carrier is moved to the first branching position by the movement along the first connecting rail of the first carrier holder. in a state in which the wafer carrier moves from the first carrier holder to the third guide rail and discharges the first wafer whose polishing process is completed through the third guide rail to a first cleaning unit; while another second wafer carrier moves along the second guide rail, a polishing process is performed on the second wafer mounted on the second wafer carrier on the second polishing platen; The second wafer carrier moves from the second guide rail to the second carrier holder of the second connecting rail, so that the second wafer carrier is moved along the first connecting rail by the second carrier holder. In a state where the first branching position is reached, the second wafer carrier moves from the second carrier holder to the third guide rail, and through the third guide rail, the second wafer on which the polishing process is completed is cleaned by a second cleaning unit. The two different wafers may be configured to perform a polishing process on different polishing platens, respectively, and then directly perform a cleaning and drying process in different cleaning units. This can improve productivity by performing each cleaning process in the cleaning units disposed on both sides when the one-step chemical mechanical polishing process is performed.

That is, the first wafers that have been polished on the first polishing plate are supplied to the first cleaning units arranged in one row, and are rinsed with an IPA liquid layer after brush cleaning, cleaning with a whirlpool nozzle, cleaning with pure water and carbon dioxide. A drying process is carried out; The second wafer, which has been polished on the second polishing plate, is supplied to a second cleaning unit arranged in parallel with the second cleaning unit, and is used for brush cleaning, cleaning with a whirlpool nozzle, and cleaning with pure water and carbon dioxide. Then, a rinse drying process by the IPA liquid layer may be performed.

On the other hand, when the polishing process performed on the polishing platen is buffing polishing of the wafer, the time required for polishing is generally shorter than the time taken for cleaning, so the first wafers polished on the first polishing platen are alternately first It may be configured to be supplied to the cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit to undergo a cleaning process.

In addition, the first wafer polished on the first polishing platen and the second wafer polished on the second polishing platen are all supplied to the first cleaning unit arranged in a row, and are cleaned by brush cleaning and whirlpool nozzles , washing with pure water and carbon dioxide, and then rinsing and drying with an IPA liquid layer may be performed.

On the other hand, in the wafer processing system according to the present invention configured as described above, while the wafer carrier moves along the first guide rail, a polishing process is performed on the first wafer mounted on the wafer carrier on the first polishing platen. being done; The wafer carrier moves from the first guide rail to the first carrier holder of the first connecting rail, so that the wafer carrier is moved to the first branching position by the movement along the first connecting rail of the first carrier holder. In the state in which the wafer carrier is moved from the first carrier holder to the third guide rail, the first wafer whose polishing process has been completed through the third guide rail is transferred to the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit. exhaust; With respect to the wafers alternately supplied to the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit, the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit each undergo brush cleaning, cleaning with a whirlpool nozzle, and cleaning with pure water and carbon dioxide. A rinse drying process with the IPA liquid layer may be performed. This takes a longer time in the cleaning process compared to the polishing process in the first step, so the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit separately perform the cleaning process on the wafer on which the polishing process has been performed on the first polishing plate. The processing efficiency can be increased.

In addition, in the wafer processing system according to the present invention configured as described above, while the wafer carrier moves along the first guide rail, the first wafer mounted on the wafer carrier is first polished on the first polishing platen. process is done; The wafer carrier moves from the first guide rail to the first carrier holder of the first connecting rail, and the first carrier holder moves to a first on the first connecting rail spaced apart from one end of the third guide rail. when the first branching position is reached, the wafer carrier moves from the first carrier holder to the third guide rail, so that the wafer carrier moves to the second branching position of the third guide rail; After the wafer carrier moves along the third guide rail, when the wafer carrier moves from the other end of the third guide rail to the fourth carrier holder of the second connection rail, the fourth carrier holder moves on the second connection rail. moving to the fourth position, moving the wafer carrier from the fourth carrier holder to the second guide rail, and moving the wafer carrier along the second guide rail, the first mounted on the wafer carrier a second polishing process is performed on the wafer in the second polishing platen; After the wafer carrier moves from one end of the second guide rail to the second carrier holder of the second connection rail, the second carrier holder moves to the first branching position spaced apart from one end of the third guide rail. moving, and moving the wafer carrier from the second carrier holder to the third guide rail, so that the wafer carrier is discharged to the cleaning unit via the third guide rail. Through this, a single wafer may be subjected to a two-step polishing process under different conditions on different polishing plates.

Then, the wafers that have been subjected to the two-step polishing process are all supplied to a cleaning unit arranged in a row, brush cleaning, cleaning with a whirlpool nozzle, cleaning with pure water and carbon dioxide, followed by a rinse-drying process with an IPA liquid layer. have.

The terms 'holding', 'mounting' and 'mounting' described in this specification and claims are defined as referring to a form in which a wafer moves together with a wafer carrier. Thus, a wafer 'held', 'mounted', or 'mounted' on a wafer carrier is not limited to a particular shape or location, such as it must be located inside the wafer carrier.

As described above, in the present invention, the wafer carrier moves along a path consisting of the first guide rail, the second guide rail, and the connection rail, the third guide rail is formed in the central part, and the connection rail accommodates the wafer carrier. As two carrier holders are each movably arranged so that it is possible to cross each other, sequentially move, or independently move the two polishing plates through the third guide rail, they are installed in one arrangement structure. By using a wafer processing system, various polishing processes can be performed on a wafer, and various polishing processes can be variously performed according to the type or thickness of the polishing layer deposited on the wafer, thereby reducing the space occupied in the semiconductor manufacturing line. It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of performing various polishing processes in various ways according to the state or type of the wafer while minimizing it.

That is, according to the present invention, the third guide rail is provided between the first guide rail and the second guide rail, so that the wafer carrier is used as a temporary loading place for temporarily placing the wafer carrier on the third guide rail from the carrier holder. It is possible to obtain the effect of greatly increasing the degree of freedom of movement, such as moving from one end to the end of the connecting rail while changing different carrier holders.

Through this, according to the present invention, not only the chemical mechanical polishing process of the wafer, but also the buffing polishing process can be performed in various forms while occupying a small space on the wafer on which the chemical mechanical polishing process has been performed, so that the wafer polishing process can be finished more efficiently effect can be obtained.

And, the present invention is configured not to rotate the wafer carrier while the wafer carrier moves while holding the wafer, and at the same time, while the docking unit supplying power or pneumatic pressure to the wafer carrier moves the first guide rail and the second guide rail It is configured to approach and dock from different directions, and at the same time, the docking surfaces are formed on two surfaces of the wafer carrier, so it is possible to install the movement path of the wafer in a compact state in a narrower space, and it is easy to control the wafer carrier disintegration effect can be obtained.

In addition, in the present invention, the wafer mounted on the wafer carrier finishes the polishing process and before being transferred to the unloading unit, the wafer is held in the unloading unit by cleaning the polishing surface of the wafer by a pre-cleaning device to remove foreign substances. Prevents contamination of the inverter that is turned 180 degrees to reverse the state, thereby securing the operational reliability of the inverter, and reducing the maintenance time interval to achieve higher productivity.

In the present invention, all of the wafers on which the polishing process has been completed are supplied to a cleaning unit arranged in one row, brush cleaning, cleaning with a whirlpool nozzle, cleaning with pure water and carbon dioxide, followed by a rinse-drying process with an IPA liquid layer. , it is also possible to obtain the advantage that the cleaning, rinsing and drying processes of the wafer can be performed cleanly within a short time.

1 is a plan view illustrating a wafer processing system and an arrangement structure for performing a cleaning process according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an arrangement structure of an area in which a polishing process is performed in the wafer processing system of Fig. 1;
3 is a view for explaining the operating principle of a wafer carrier moving along a guide rail moving to a connecting rail;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the wafer carrier of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 4;
6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the docking unit is docked to the wafer carrier of FIG. 3;
7a and 7b are views showing an inverting device in an unloading unit;
8A and 8B are schematic views showing the configuration of the preliminary cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1;
9 is a view showing the configuration of a first cleaning module in which contact cleaning of a wafer by a cleaning brush is performed;
10 is a view showing the configuration of a second cleaning module in which non-contact cleaning of wafers by a whirlpool nozzle is performed;
11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tornado nozzle of FIG. 10;
12 is a view showing the configuration of a fourth cleaning module in which a drying process by an IPA liquid layer is performed;
Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment in which a one-step polishing process of different wafers is simultaneously performed using the wafer processing system of Fig. 1, and a cleaning process is respectively performed in two cleaning units;
Fig. 14 is a view showing the configuration of the second embodiment in which one-step polishing processes of different wafers are simultaneously performed using the wafer processing system of Fig. 1 and the cleaning processes are respectively performed in one cleaning unit;
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration in which a one-step polishing process of a wafer is performed using the wafer processing system of FIG. 1 and then a cleaning process is performed in two different cleaning units; FIG.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a configuration in which a two-step polishing process of a wafer is sequentially performed using the wafer processing system of FIG. 1, and the cleaning process is performed in a cleaning unit.

Hereinafter, a wafer processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, in describing the present invention, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to known functions or configurations, and descriptions thereof will be omitted in order to clarify the gist of the present invention.

1 and 2 , a wafer processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a polishing area X1 in which a polishing process of a wafer W is performed, and a wafer W in which a polishing process is performed. ) is divided into a cleaning area (X2) where cleaning and drying processes are performed.

In the polishing area (X1), the wafer carrier (C) moving while holding the wafer (W), and a first guide arranged to pass through the first polishing platen (P1) and installed so that the wafer carrier (C) can move A second guide rail (G2) arranged to pass through the rail (G1) and the second polishing platen (P2) and installed so that the wafer carrier (C) can move, a first guide rail (G1) and a second guide rail ( A third guide rail G3 arranged between G2 and moving the wafer carrier C, a first position S4 spaced apart from one end of the first guide rail G1, and a second guide rail G2 a first connecting rail CR1 connecting one end of the second position S4 ′ spaced apart from one another, and a third position S1 and a second guide rail G2 spaced apart from the other end of the first guide rail G1. A second connecting rail (CR2) connecting the other end of the fourth position (S1') spaced apart from each other, and a first carrier holder capable of accommodating the wafer carrier (C) while moving along the first connecting rail (CR1) ( H1) and a second carrier holder (H2), and a third carrier holder (H3) and a fourth carrier holder (H4) capable of accommodating the wafer carrier (C) while moving along the second connecting rail (CR2). do.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, one carrier holder is provided on the first connection rail CR1 to move along the first connection rail CR1, and another carrier holder is also provided for the second connection rail CR2. It may be provided and configured to move along the second connection rail CR2.

The wafer carrier C moves alone on the guide rails G1, G2, G3; G, and is accommodated in the carrier holders H1, H2, H3, H4; H on the connection rails CR1, CR2; CR. It moves by the movement of the furnace carrier holder (H). A rectangular shape formed by a plurality of vertical lines in the layout views of FIGS. 1 and 2 is a simplified representation of the wafer carrier C. As shown in FIG.

And, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the wafer carrier (C) has an N-pole permanent magnet (128n) and an S-pole permanent magnet (128s) are alternately arranged on the upper side, therein a driving motor or a pneumatic supply device It is configured in a non-powered state where there is no Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3, by controlling the current direction of the power source 88 applied to the coil 90 installed in the frame F formed on the upper side of the polishing platens P1, P2; The linear motor moves along the guide rail (G).

And, when the wafer carrier (C) is located on the upper side of the polishing platen (P), the docking unit (D) is coupled to the wafer carrier (C), and a rotational driving force for rotationally driving the wafer (W) and the wafer (W) Pneumatic pressure for downward pressure is supplied.

To this end, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a magnetic coupler 124 in which permanent magnets of N poles and S poles are alternately arranged on the inner circumferential surface to receive rotational driving force is formed, and the docking unit (D) Permanent magnets of N poles and S poles are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 186, so that the drive shaft 186 of the docking unit D approaches the magnetic coupler 124 of the wafer carrier C. When it rotates in the inserted state, a rotational driving force is transmitted to the magnetic coupler 124 to be rotationally driven (124r). Accordingly, the rotating shaft 125 rotating in conjunction with the magnetic coupler 124 rotates together (125r), and the rotational driving force of the rotating shaft 125 rotates the vertical shaft 126 by a power transmission means such as a gear (126r) is transferred to the polishing head CH while rotating, and rotationally drives the wafer W during the polishing process. At this time, a guide shaft 124o may be formed in the central portion of the magnetic coupler 124 to guide the driving shaft 186 of the docking unit D to be inserted into the magnetic coupler 124 .

In addition, on the outer peripheral surface of the wafer carrier (C), a pneumatic supply port (123x) to which the pneumatic pipe is coupled is formed on the outer surface, and the docking unit (D) approaches the wafer carrier (C) (8) and docks when docking, the docking unit ( While the coupling portion 187 of the pneumatic pipe 187a of D) is fitted into the pneumatic supply port 123x, the grinding head CH rotates through the pneumatic supply paths 123 and 129 extending from the pneumatic supply port 123x. ) is transferred to At this time, since the polishing head CH is driven by rotation 126r during the polishing process, a rotary union RU is installed on the pneumatic supply passages 123 and 129 to smoothly supply pneumatic pressure to the rotationally driven polishing head CH. be able to

And, the wafer carrier (C) continues to not rotate during the movement path along the guide rail (G) and the connection rail (CR). Accordingly, although the docking unit D may be configured to dock only on one side of the wafer carrier C, in this case, the gap between the third guide rail G3 and the first guide rail G1 and the third guide rail ( Since any one of the gap between G3) and the second guide rail G2 needs to be larger than necessary, the overall space efficiency is lowered.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 1 , among the docking units docked to the wafer carrier C, the first docking unit D is on the opposite side of the third guide rail G3 with respect to the first guide rail G1. It is disposed on the outside (upper side with reference to FIG. 1), and with respect to the second guide rail G2, the second docking unit D is also on the outside (lower side with reference to FIG. 1), which is the opposite side of the third guide rail G3. ), the first docking unit and the second docking unit move toward the third guide rail (G) opposite to each other, and the wafer carrier and the second guide rail (G2) each move the first guide rail (G1). ) to dock to a moving wafer carrier is effective to increase overall space efficiency. At this time, since the wafer carrier (C) moves in a non-rotating state, the wafer carrier (C) is shown in FIG. As shown, the pneumatic coupling portion 123 and the magnetic coupler 124 are formed on two surfaces located on opposite sides of each other. Thereby, it is possible to obtain the advantage of avoiding the complicated control and structure of rotating the wafer carrier C while keeping the arrangement of the wafer processing system more compact.

In addition, an upper roller 127U and a lower roller 127L are rotatably formed on both sides of the wafer carrier C so as to be able to move without rocking on the guide rail G. The wafer carrier C continues to not rotate while moving a path along the guide rail C and the connection rail CR.

In the drawings, reference numeral 121, which is not described, denotes a connection and coupling portion of the wafer carrier C with the polishing head CH.

On the other hand, the docking unit (D) is fixed to the frame (F) as shown in Figure 6, horizontal reciprocating movement (8) is possible so that it can be coupled to the wafer carrier (C) moving along the guide rail (G) is installed To this end, when the rotating shaft 182 is driven by the moving motor 181 to rotate, the moving plate 184 reciprocates 8 on the rotating shaft 182 by the principle of a lead screw.

In addition, a rotation drive motor 185 is fixed to the moving plate 184 and a drive shaft 186 driven to rotate by the rotation drive motor 185 is provided to move the moving plate 184 by the moving motor 181 . As a result, the driving shaft 186 is inserted into the magnetic coupler 124 of the wafer carrier C to be in a state capable of transmitting a rotational driving force to the wafer carrier C. At the same time, as the coupling portion 187 of the pneumatic supply pipe 187a moves according to the movement of the moving plate 184 is coupled to the pneumatic supply unit 123x of the wafer carrier C, it is in a state capable of supplying pneumatic pressure as well.

The first guide rail G1 is disposed so that the wafer W held by the wafer carrier C can be polished on the first polishing platen P1 . Similarly, the second guide rail G2 is disposed so that the wafer W held by the wafer carrier C can be polished on the second polishing platen P2 .

A polishing platen is not disposed on the third guide rail G3 , and a path through which the wafer carrier C moves is formed. However, since two carrier holders (H) are disposed on the connection rail (CR), each can be moved at once to move from the ends (S1, S4) of the connection rail (CR) to the other ends (S1', S4'). Therefore, the wafer carrier C serves as a temporary loading station TS for changing the carrier holder H at any position where the third guide rail G3 is arranged.

The connection rail CR maintains a spaced apart state from the guide rail G, and as shown in FIG. 3 , may be disposed with a vertical height difference.

On the other hand, in each of the polishing plates P1 and P2, a chemical mechanical polishing process may be performed or a buffing polishing process may be performed. When the chemical mechanical polishing process is performed, a slurry supply unit, a conditioner, etc. are disposed on the polishing platen P. When the buffing polishing process is performed, a solution supply unit for supplying a liquid (pure water or alkaline water, etc.) supplied to the wafer are placed When the buffing polishing process is performed on the polishing platen P, a polishing pad having a lower hardness than that of a urethane-based polishing pad installed when the chemical mechanical polishing process is performed is coated on the polishing platen.

The carrier holder (H) is formed with a holder rail (HR) for accommodating the wafer carrier (C) as shown in FIG. 3, and moves along the guide rail (G) regardless of the arrangement of the connection rail (CR). It is configured to accommodate the wafer carrier (C). To this end, a coil 209 is also formed on the upper side of the carrier holder H, and the operation of moving to the carrier holder H by interaction with the permanent magnet 128 arranged on the upper side of the wafer carrier C is performed. be able to

At this time, in order to prevent the impact of the wafer carrier (C) in the process of moving the wafer carrier (C) from the guide rail (G) to the holder rail (HR) of the carrier holder (H), the wafer carrier (C) is the carrier When moving to the holder (H), the holder rail (HR) may move toward the guide rail (G) to reduce or eliminate a step or a step difference.

Two carrier holders H are arranged for each one of the connecting rails CR. A first carrier holder H1 and a second carrier holder H2 are installed on the first connection rail CR1 to move along the first connection rail CR1. In addition, a third carrier holder H3 and a fourth carrier holder H4 are installed on the second connecting rail CR2 to move along the second connecting rail CR2.

The first carrier holder H1 can accommodate the wafer carrier C located on any one of the first guide rail G1 and the third guide rail G3, It is possible to reciprocate along the first connecting rail (CR1), and the wafer carrier (C) accommodated while reciprocating along the first connecting rail (CR1) is either the first guide rail (G1) or the third guide rail (G3). Move to a position where you can move as one.

Similarly, the second carrier holder H2 can accommodate the wafer carrier C located on either one of the third guide rail G3 and the second guide rail G2, and accommodate the wafer carrier C. It is possible to reciprocate along the first connecting rail CR1 in one state, and the wafer carrier C accommodated while reciprocating along the first connecting rail CR1 is the third guide rail G3 and the second guide rail. Move to a position where you can move to any one of (G2).

In addition, the third carrier holder H3 can accommodate the wafer carrier C positioned on any one of the first guide rail G1 and the third guide rail G3, and the wafer carrier C is accommodated. can reciprocate along the second connecting rail CR2, and the wafer carrier C accommodated while reciprocating along the second connecting rail CR2 is moved between the first guide rail G1 and the third guide rail G3. ) move to a position that can be moved to either one.

Similarly, the fourth carrier holder H4 can accommodate the wafer carrier C located on any one of the third guide rail G3 and the second guide rail G2, and accommodate the wafer carrier C. It is possible to reciprocate along the second connecting rail CR2 in one state, and the wafer carrier C accommodated while reciprocating along the second connecting rail CR2 is the third guide rail G3 and the second guide rail. Move to a position where you can move to any one of (G2).

Accordingly, the wafer carrier C may move freely between the guide rail G and the connection rail CR as needed. As described above, as the movement path of the wafer carrier C is formed by the guide rail G and the connection rail CR, even if the guide rail G and the connection rail CR form a path forming a vertex, the wafer carrier ( The advantage that C) can move smoothly is obtained, and a compact arrangement structure can be realized by forming a smaller space indicated by X1 even when the same number and size of abrasive platens are installed.

The wafer carrier (C) moves along the second connecting rail (CR2) while being accommodated in the third carrier holder (H3) or the fourth carrier holder (H4). The wafer W that is supplied from the loading unit 20 by (RH1, RH2) and has completed the polishing process is pre-cleaned by the pre-cleaning device 30, and the pre-cleaned wafer W is transferred to the unloading unit ( In 10), the cleaning units 1C and 2C are transferred to the cleaning area X2 in which the cleaning units 1C and 2C are disposed in a 180-degree inverted state by the inverter 50.

As shown in the figure, the loading unit 20, the pre-cleaning device 30, and the unloading unit 10 are respectively disposed in the moving areas of the third carrier holder H3 and the fourth carrier holder H4.

Here, the pre-cleaning apparatus 30 includes a cleaning nozzle 35 for spraying the cleaning liquid 33 with high water pressure on the polishing surface of the wafer W mounted on the wafer carrier C as shown in FIG. 8A . The cleaning nozzle 35 moves (35d) while high-pressure spraying of the cleaning liquid over the entire polishing surface of the wafer W, thereby removing large foreign substances 99 such as slurry or abrasive particles adhering to the polishing surface of the wafer W. Remove.

Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 8B , the preliminary cleaning apparatus 30' applies a cleaning liquid 38M to the polishing surface of the wafer W mounted on the wafer carrier C with high water pressure. ), but by spraying the cleaning liquid to the polishing surface of the wafer W in a state excited by the megasonic oscillation unit 38, the cleaning efficiency of the wafer W can be further increased by the excited cleaning liquid.

In this way, by removing the foreign material 99 adhering to the polishing surface of the wafer W by the pre-cleaning device 30, the wafer carrier C then moves as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. In the unloading unit 10, the inverter 50 takes over the wafer (W) from the wafer carrier (C) and in the process of turning 180 degrees so that the polishing surface (SW) is positioned upward (52r), the wafer (W) It is possible to prevent the arm 52 of the inverter 50 from being contaminated by the foreign material 99 attached to the wafer W.

Here, an unexplained reference numeral 52x denotes a hinge axis for the arm 52 of the inverter to grip the wafer W, and an unexplained reference numeral 51 denotes a rotation axis that turns the arm 52 over by 180 degrees.

In this way, the unloading unit 20 takes over the wafer W from the wafer carrier C, rotates it 180 degrees by the inverter 50 and flips it over with the polishing surface sw facing upward. A main cleaning process is performed by supplying a wafer to the cleaning area X2.

On the other hand, when the polishing process of the wafer is finished in the polishing area X1 and the polishing surface sw is turned 180 degrees by the inverter 50 in the unloading unit 20 to a state in which the polishing surface sw faces upward, the robot handler RH1 ) to the transfer gripper Gr of the cleaning units 1C and 2C. While the transfer gripper Gr moves Gd along the transfer rail Rx, the cleaning process and rinsing drying of the wafer W in the cleaning modules C1, C2, C3, C4 of each cleaning unit 1C, 2C Let the process be done The cleaning units 1C and 2C are respectively arranged in two rows in the cleaning area X2, and undergo a four-step cleaning and drying process.

Here, as shown in FIG. 9 , the first cleaning module C1 uses the contact cleaning force of the cleaning brush BR to rotate the surface of the wafer W with the wafer W interposed therebetween. Remove any foreign substances remaining in the When the wafer W is transferred to the first cleaning module C1 through the polishing process in the polishing area X1, the cleaning brush BR fixed to the support 80 is driven by the rotation of the lead screw LS. Moving toward (W) (BRd), the cleaning brush (BR) is in contact with the surface of the wafer (W), and as the cleaning brush (BR) rotates, a relatively large Remove foreign substances by contact.

The wafer W that has been first cleaned in the first cleaning module C1 is transferred to the second cleaning module C2 disposed next by the transfer gripper Gr. As shown in FIG. 10 , the second cleaning module C2 spins and rotates the wafer W in place with the wafer W mounted on the cradle, and a whirlwind nozzle moving in the direction having the radial component of the wafer W From 70, nitrogen or air 77 and cleaning liquid 66 are mixed at high speed in the state of mixed gas 70a. Through this, foreign substances attached to the surface of the wafer W are removed by spraying the mixed gas 70a over the entire plate surface.

That is, as shown in FIG. 11 , the cleaning liquid 66 is supplied downward through the plurality of conduits 111 in the center, and at the same time, the high-pressure air 77 through the conduit 72 surrounding the cleaning liquid conduit 111 . ) is supplied downwards. At this time, an inwardly bent portion 132 is formed in the lower portion of the nozzle 70, and as the protruding portion 73 protruding in the radial direction is formed, the air 77 injected downward through the air conduit 72 is formed. The path is changed in the radially inward direction. Therefore, the cleaning liquid 66 that is sprayed downward through the cleaning liquid pipe 111 and the high-pressure air 77 that has a radially inward component and is sprayed downward are mixed with each other, and the cleaning liquid particles ( 66x) becomes a mixed state. Through this, the foreign substances adhered to the plate surface of the wafer W can be more reliably separated from the plate surface of the wafer W while the shear force is applied by the mixed gas 70a having a horizontal component.

The wafer W after the secondary cleaning in the second cleaning module C2 is transferred to the next third cleaning module C3 by the transfer gripper Gr. The third cleaning module C3 spins the wafer W in place with the wafer W mounted on the cradle, similar to that shown in FIG. 10 , and a cleaning solution moving in the direction having the radial component of the wafer W It is made by high-speed jetting a solution in which the cleaning liquid is mixed with carbon dioxide from the nozzle onto the plate surface of the wafer W. Through this, it is possible to remove foreign substances from the wafer under a stable atmosphere while reducing the electrostatic charge formed on the plate surface of the wafer.

The wafer W whose surface has been cleaned by the third cleaning in the third cleaning module C3 is transferred to the fourth cleaning module C4 disposed next by the transfer gripper Gr. As shown in FIG. 11 , the fourth cleaning module C4 holds the cleaning solution 66 in the container 81 , divides it into two areas by the partition wall 112 , and then covers the outside air and the outside air by the cover 84 . IPA vapor is supplied from the isopropyl alcohol (IPA) vapor supply 85 to the separated area. Accordingly, the IPA vapor forms the liquid layer 85a on the upper side of the cleaning liquid 66 .

Accordingly, when the wafer W is immersed in the first region I, the wafer W moves along the inclined bottom surface of the container 82 to the second region II. In this process, the wafer W is cleaned or rinsed by the cleaning liquid 66 , and the wafer W is lifted up by the gripper 82 in the second region II and discharged to the outside. At this time, since the IPA liquid layer 85a is formed in the second region II, the surface tension of the cleaning liquid 66 and the surface tension of the IPA liquid layer 85a are different from the surface tension of the cleaning liquid in the discharge region II. Upon passing through, the cleaning liquid does not remain on the surface of the wafer by the IPA liquid layer 85a thereon, and a drying step is performed.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment in which a wafer W polishing process is performed using the wafer processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 13 .

As shown in FIG. 13 , when new first wafers W1 and second wafers W are respectively supplied to the two loading units 20 from the outside through robot handlers RH1 and RH2, the first wafer ( W1) is mounted on the wafer carrier C of the third carrier holder H3, and the second wafer W2 is mounted on the wafer carrier C of the fourth carrier holder H4 (R1 in Fig. 13).

Then, the third carrier holder (H3) and the fourth carrier holder (H4) are respectively moved and moved to the third position (S1) and the fourth position (S1'), similarly as shown in Fig. 2, The wafer carrier C from the third carrier holder H3 moves to the first guide rail G1, and the wafer carrier C from the fourth carrier holder H4 moves to the third guide rail G3.

Then, the wafer carrier C moving along the first guide rail G1 performs a first polishing process on the first wafer W1 on the first polishing platen P1 . Next, the wafer carrier C is moved from the position S3 to the first carrier holder H1 moving along the first connection rail CR1 so that the first carrier holder H1 moves along the first connection rail CR1. After moving along with the ship, it moves from the first branching position (S5) back to the S6 position of the third guide rail (G3) and moves along the third guide rail (G3), and then at the second branching position (S7). After being moved to the third carrier holder H1, it moves to the pre-cleaning device 30 . That is, the polishing process of the wafer is performed while moving along the path indicated by R2 in FIG.

Similarly, the wafer carrier C moving along the second guide rail G2 performs a polishing process on the second wafer W2 on the second polishing platen P2. Next, the wafer carrier C is moved from the position S3' to the second carrier holder H2 that moves along the first connection rail CR1 (S4') so that the second carrier holder H2 is connected to the first connection rail (S4'). After moving along CR1), it moves from position S5 to position S6 of the third guide rail G3 again, moves along the third guide rail G3, and then moves along the third guide rail G3, and at position S7, the third carrier holder ( After moving to H1), it moves to the pre-cleaning device 30 . The polishing process is performed while moving along the path indicated by R2' in Fig. 13 similar to that of the first wafer.

Then, the first wafer W1 and the second wafer W2, on which the polishing process has been performed, pre-clean the polished surface in the preliminary cleaning device 30 , and are transferred to the unloading unit 10 to be transferred to the inverter 50 . After being moved, they are respectively transferred to the first cleaning unit C1 and the second cleaning unit C2 in an inverted state by 180 degrees, and a four-step cleaning and drying process is performed (R3 in FIG. 13).

As described above, by using the wafer processing system 1 configured as described above, the polishing process and the cleaning process of the two different wafers W1 and W2 are simultaneously performed on both sides to improve productivity. This is suitable when the required time of the polishing process on the polishing plates P1 and P2 is similar to the cleaning time performed in the cleaning process, and can be effectively applied to the case of a chemical mechanical polishing process in general. In addition, even if the polishing process on the polishing plates P1 and P2 is a buffing polishing process that takes a short time, the wafers W1 and W2 that have been subjected to the buffing polishing process on the respective polishing plates P1 and P2 are washed with adjacent cleaning units ( 1C, 2C) and the cleaning process, the movement path of the wafer can be shortened and the movement control of the wafer can be made easier.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 14, a second embodiment in which the polishing process of the wafer W is performed using the wafer processing system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 14 , when new first wafers W1 and second wafers W are supplied to the two loading units 20 from the outside through robot handlers RH1 and RH2, respectively, the first wafer ( W1) is mounted on the wafer carrier C of the third carrier holder H3, and the second wafer W2 is mounted on the wafer carrier C of the fourth carrier holder H4 (R1 in Fig. 14).

Then, the third carrier holder (H3) and the fourth carrier holder (H4) are respectively moved and moved to the third position (S1) and the fourth position (S1'), similarly as shown in Fig. 2, The wafer carrier C from the third carrier holder H3 moves to the first guide rail G1, and the wafer carrier C from the fourth carrier holder H4 moves to the third guide rail G3.

Then, the wafer carrier C moving along the first guide rail G1 performs a first polishing process on the first wafer W1 on the first polishing platen P1 . Next, the wafer carrier C is moved from the position S3 to the first carrier holder H1 moving along the first connection rail CR1 so that the first carrier holder H1 moves along the first connection rail CR1. After moving along with the ship, it moves from the first branching position (S5) back to the S6 position of the third guide rail (G3) and moves along the third guide rail (G3), and then at the second branching position (S7). After being moved to the third carrier holder H1, it moves to the pre-cleaning device 30 . That is, the polishing process of the wafer is performed while moving along the path indicated by R2 in FIG.

Similarly, the wafer carrier C moving along the second guide rail G2 performs a polishing process on the second wafer W2 on the second polishing platen P2. Next, the wafer carrier C is moved from the position S3' to the second carrier holder H2 that moves along the first connection rail CR1 (S4') so that the second carrier holder H2 is connected to the first connection rail (S4'). After moving along CR1), it moves from position S5 to position S6 of the third guide rail G3 again, moves along the third guide rail G3, and then moves along the third guide rail G3, and at position S7, the third carrier holder ( After moving to H1), it moves to the pre-cleaning device 30 . The polishing process is performed while moving along the path indicated by R2' in Fig. 14 similar to the first wafer.

Then, both the first wafer W1 and the second wafer W2 to which the polishing process has been performed pre-clean the polished surface in one pre-cleaning device 30, and are transferred to the unloading unit 10 and transferred to the inverter ( 50) and then transferred to any one cleaning unit (C1 or C2) in a 180 degree inverted state, and a four-step cleaning and drying process is performed (R3 in FIG. 14).

In this way, after the polishing process for two different wafers W1 and W2 is simultaneously performed using the wafer processing system 1 configured as described above, the cleaning process can be performed in one cleaning unit. This is because, as in the buffing polishing process, when the polishing process on the polishing plates P1 and P2 takes a shorter time than the cleaning process, the first step of the buffing polishing process is performed on the respective polishing plates P1 and P2. Since it suffices to be performed in only one cleaning unit (either 1C or 2C), it is preferable to apply the buffing polishing process in the first stage.

Hereinafter, a third embodiment in which the polishing process of the wafer W is performed using the wafer processing system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 15 .

14, when a new first wafer W1 is supplied to one of the two loading units 20 from the outside through the robot handlers RH1 and RH2, the first wafer ( W1) is mounted on the wafer carrier C of the third carrier holder H3 (R1 in Fig. 15).

Then, after the third carrier holder H3 moves and moves to the third position S1 , the wafer carrier C moves from the third carrier holder H3 to the first guide rail G1 .

Then, the wafer carrier C moving along the first guide rail G1 performs a first polishing process on the first wafer W1 on the first polishing platen P1 . Next, the wafer carrier C is moved from the position S3 to the first carrier holder H1 moving along the first connection rail CR1 so that the first carrier holder H1 moves along the first connection rail CR1. After moving along with the ship, it moves from the first branching position (S5) back to the S6 position of the third guide rail (G3) and moves along the third guide rail (G3), and then at the second branching position (S7). After moving to the third carrier holder (H1), it moves to the pre-cleaning device (30). That is, the polishing process of the wafer is performed while moving along the path indicated by R2 in FIG.

Then, the first wafer W1 on which the polishing process has been performed is alternately supplied to two preliminary cleaning devices 30 disposed on the second connecting rail R2 to pre-clean the polished surface in the preliminary cleaning device 30 . After that, it is transferred to the two unloading units 10 and transferred to the inverter 50 and then transferred to the first cleaning unit (C1) and the second cleaning unit (C2) alternately in a state inverted by 180 degrees 4 The washing and drying step of step R3 is performed (R3 in Fig. 15).

In this way, after the polishing process for the wafer W is performed at one place using the wafer processing system 1 configured as described above, it is alternately supplied to different cleaning units 1C and 2C to perform the cleaning process. have. This can be utilized when the cleaning process is longer than the one-step chemical mechanical polishing process.

Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment in which the polishing process of the wafer W is performed using the wafer processing system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 16 .

As shown in FIG. 16, when the new first wafer W1 and the second wafer W are respectively supplied to the two loading units 20 as shown in FIG. 11A, the first wafer W1 is It is mounted on the wafer carrier C of the three-carrier holder H3, and the second wafer W2 is mounted on the wafer carrier C of the fourth carrier holder H4 (R1 in Fig. 16).

Then, the third carrier holder (H3) and the fourth carrier holder (H4) are respectively moved and moved to the third position (S1) and the fourth position (S1'), and then similarly as shown in Fig. 3, The wafer carrier C from the third carrier holder H3 moves to the first guide rail G1, and the wafer carrier C from the fourth carrier holder H4 moves to the second guide rail G2.

Then, the wafer carrier C moving along the first guide rail G1 performs a first polishing process on the first wafer W1 on the first polishing platen P1 . Next, the wafer carrier C is moved from the position S3 to the first carrier holder H1 moving along the first connection rail CR1 so that the first carrier holder H1 moves along the first connection rail CR1. After moving along with the ship, it moves from the first branching position (S5) to the position S6 of the third guide rail (G3) and moves along the third guide rail (G3) (the path indicated by R2 in Fig. 16)

Then, the first wafer W1 moves from the second branching position S7 to the fourth carrier holder H4, and then moves to the fourth position S1' and moves from the fourth carrier holder H4 to the second wafer W1. The second polishing process is performed while moving to the guide rail G2 and passing through the second polishing platen P2 while moving along the second guide rail G2. Then, it moves along the second carrier holder H2 and the third guide rail G3 at the second position S3 of the second guide rail G2 (the path indicated by R3 in Fig. 16).

Next, the first wafer W1 moves from the second branching position S7 to any one of the third carrier holder H3 and the fourth carrier holder H4, and then moves to the pre-cleaning device 30, The polishing surface of the first wafer W1, which has been subjected to the two-step polishing process, is cleaned in the worship cleaning process, transferred to the unloading unit 10 and transferred to the inverter 50, and then the cleaning unit is inverted 180 degrees It is transported to any one of the steps to perform a cleaning process (path indicated by R4 in Fig. 16).

On the other hand, although not shown in FIG. 16, while the first wafer undergoes a two-step polishing process and a cleaning process through the path of R1-R2-R3-R4, R1-R3-R2-R4' (here, R4) ' is a path through which the first wafer passes through the cleaning unit to which the first wafer is transferred and the other cleaning unit), so that two wafers can simultaneously perform a two-step polishing process and a four-step cleaning process.

In the wafer processing system 1 according to the present invention configured as described above, the wafer carrier C moves along a path including the first guide rail G1, the second guide rail G2, and the connection rail CR. , a third guide rail (G3) is formed in the central portion, and two carrier holders (H) capable of accommodating the wafer carrier (C) are movably disposed on the connection rail (CR), respectively, so that two polishing plates (P) ) through the third guide rail P3, it is possible to cross or sequentially move, so that various polishing processes for wafers can be performed using the wafer processing system 1 installed in one arrangement structure. , various polishing processes can be performed in a variety of ways depending on the type and thickness of the polishing layer deposited on the wafer. advantageous effects can be obtained.

In particular, since the wafer processing system 1 according to the present invention has a configuration in which a chemical mechanical polishing process or a buffing polishing process can be simultaneously performed according to production conditions, it minimizes the space occupied in the semiconductor manufacturing line and can be varied depending on the state or type of the wafer. There is an advantage in that the buffing and polishing process can be performed and a cleaner cleaning process can be performed in a shorter time through the connection configuration with the cleaning unit.

Although the present invention has been exemplarily described through preferred embodiments above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the technical idea presented in the present invention, specifically, the claims may be modified, changed, or improved.

10: loading unit 20: unloading unit
30: pre-cleaning apparatus 100: wafer processing system
D: Docking unit P: Polishing platen
C: wafer carrier H: carrier holder
W: Wafer

Claims (24)

a first guide rail arranged in a path through which the wafers held in the wafer carrier pass through the first polishing plate, the wafer carrier being movable;
a second guide rail arranged in a path through which the wafer held in the wafer carrier passes through a second polishing plate, the wafer carrier being movable;
a third guide rail arranged between the first guide rail and the second guide rail to allow the wafer carrier to move;
a first connection rail connecting a first position spaced apart from one end of the first guide rail and a second position spaced apart from one end of the second guide rail;
a wafer carrier that independently moves while holding the wafer and moves any three of the first guide rail, the second guide rail, and the third guide rail and the first connection rail in a non-rotating state;
Can accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail, and reciprocally move along the first connection rail while accommodating the wafer carrier A carrier that is installed and moved to a position where the wafer carrier accommodated while reciprocating along the first connection rail can come and go with any one of the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail holder;
When the wafer carrier reaches a position where the polishing process is performed, the first docking is docked to the wafer carrier and transmits any one or more of a driving force for rotationally driving the wafer and pneumatic pressure required to press the wafer to the wafer carrier. a docking unit including a unit and a second docking unit;
consists of,
The wafer carrier is formed with two docking surfaces to be coupled to the docking unit on two surfaces facing the direction perpendicular to the moving direction;
With respect to the wafer carrier that moves the first guide rail, the first docking unit is disposed on the opposite side of the third guide rail with respect to the first guide rail and moves in a direction toward the third guide rail to move the wafer. docked to one of the docking surfaces of the carrier;
With respect to the wafer carrier moving the second guide rail, the second docking unit is disposed on the opposite side of the third guide rail with respect to the first guide rail and moves in a direction toward the third guide rail to move the wafer. and docked to the other of said docking surfaces of a carrier.
According to claim 1, wherein the carrier holder,
It can accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the first guide rail and the third guide rail, and is installed to be reciprocally moved along the first connection rail in a state in which the wafer carrier is accommodated, and the first a first carrier holder that moves to a position where the wafer carrier accommodated while reciprocating along the connecting rail can move to and from one of the first guide rail and the third guide rail;
It can accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the third guide rail and the second guide rail, and is installed to be reciprocally moved along the first connection rail in a state in which the wafer carrier is accommodated, and the first a second carrier holder that moves to a position where the wafer carrier accommodated while reciprocating along the connecting rail moves to and from one of the third guide rail and the second guide rail;
Wafer processing system, characterized in that consisting of two or more including.
3. The method of claim 2,
a second connecting rail connecting a third position spaced apart from the other end of the first guide rail and a fourth position spaced apart from the other end of the second guide rail;
Can accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail, and reciprocally move along the second connection rail in a state in which the wafer carrier is accommodated. Installed and reciprocating along the second connection rail, the wafer carrier accommodated therein moves to a position where it can come and go with any one of the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail. another carrier holder;
Wafer processing system, characterized in that it further comprises.
According to claim 3, wherein the another carrier holder,
It can accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the first guide rail and the third guide rail, and is installed to be reciprocally movable along the second connection rail in a state in which the wafer carrier is accommodated, and the second a third carrier holder that moves to a position where the wafer carrier accommodated while reciprocating along the connecting rail moves to and from one of the first guide rail and the third guide rail;
It can accommodate the wafer carrier positioned in any one of the third guide rail and the second guide rail, and is installed to be reciprocally movable along the second connection rail while accommodating the wafer carrier, and the second a fourth carrier holder in which the wafer carrier accommodated while reciprocating along the connecting rail moves from a second branching position to a position in which one of the third guide rail and the second guide rail can come and go;
Wafer processing system, characterized in that consisting of two or more including.
5. The method of claim 4,
A loading unit for supplying a wafer to be subjected to a polishing process and an unloading unit for discharging a wafer on which a polishing process has been performed are disposed in the path of the second connection rail, and are moved by the third carrier holder and the fourth carrier holder A wafer processing system, characterized in that for loading or unloading a wafer to a wafer carrier.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wafer processing system, characterized in that it is provided with a pre-cleaning device for pre-cleaning the wafer that has been subjected to a polishing process before being supplied to the unloading unit.
7. The method of claim 6,
The pre-cleaning apparatus is a wafer processing system, characterized in that one of a megasonic cleaner and a nozzle-jet cleaner.
7. The method of claim 6,
A wafer processing system, characterized in that the unloading unit is installed with an inverter that turns the wafer 180 degrees.
The method of claim 1,
N-pole and S-pole permanent magnets are alternately arranged on the wafer carrier, and the wafer carrier moves without a driving motor by current control of a coil disposed along a movement path. processing system.
delete delete delete 10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
At least one of the polishing processes performed on the first polishing platen and the second polishing platen is a chemical mechanical polishing process.
10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The wafer processing system, characterized in that at least one of the polishing processes performed on the first polishing platen and the second polishing platen is a buffing polishing process.
15. The method of claim 14,
A wafer processing system, characterized in that the hardness of the polishing pad used in the first polishing surface plate and the second polishing surface plate is lower than that of the polishing pad used in the chemical mechanical polishing process.
10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A first cleaning module that receives the wafer subjected to the polishing process and performs contact cleaning with a rotating cleaning brush, a second cleaning module that cleans the wafer by spraying a cleaning liquid in the form of a whirlpool, and spraying both pure water and carbon dioxide a cleaning unit sequentially passing through the third cleaning module and the fourth cleaning module for rinsing and drying the wafer using the IPA liquid layer;
Wafer processing system, characterized in that it further comprises.
17. The method of claim 16,
The cleaning unit comprises a first cleaning unit and a second cleaning unit arranged in two rows side by side on the first polishing platen and the second polishing platen, respectively.
9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 8,
a polishing process is performed on the first wafer mounted on the wafer carrier on the first polishing plate while the wafer carrier moves along the first guide rail; The wafer carrier moves from the first guide rail to the first carrier holder of the first connecting rail, so that the wafer carrier is moved along the first connecting rail by the third guide rail. In a state in which the first branching position can be moved to discharge to the cleaning unit;
while another second wafer carrier moves along the second guide rail, a polishing process is performed on the second wafer mounted on the second wafer carrier on the second polishing platen; The second wafer carrier moves from the second guide rail to the second carrier holder of the second connecting rail, so that the second wafer carrier is moved along the first connecting rail by the second carrier holder. In a state where the first branching position is reached, the second wafer carrier moves from the second carrier holder to the third guide rail, and through the third guide rail, the second wafer on which the polishing process is completed is cleaned by a second cleaning unit. discharged with
Wafer processing system, characterized in that.
19. The method of claim 18,
The first wafer, which has been polished on the first polishing plate, is supplied to the first cleaning unit arranged in one row, followed by brush cleaning, cleaning with a tornado nozzle, cleaning with pure water and carbon dioxide, and then rinsing and drying process with an IPA liquid layer this is done,
The second wafer, which has been polished on the second polishing plate, is supplied to a second cleaning unit arranged in parallel with the second cleaning unit, and is used for brush cleaning, cleaning with a whirlpool nozzle, and cleaning with pure water and carbon dioxide. A wafer processing system characterized in that a rinse-drying process is performed by the IPA liquid layer.
9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 8,
a polishing process is performed on the first wafer mounted on the wafer carrier on the first polishing plate while the wafer carrier moves along the first guide rail; The wafer carrier moves from the first guide rail to the first carrier holder of the first connecting rail, so that the wafer carrier is moved along the first connecting rail by the third guide rail. In a state in which the first branching position can be moved to discharge to the cleaning unit;
while another second wafer carrier moves along the second guide rail, a polishing process is performed on the second wafer mounted on the second wafer carrier on the second polishing platen; The second wafer carrier moves from the second guide rail to the second carrier holder of the second connecting rail, so that the second wafer carrier is moved along the first connecting rail by the second carrier holder. In a state in which the first branching position is reached, the second wafer carrier moves from the second carrier holder to the third guide rail, and the second wafer on which the polishing process is completed through the third guide rail is first cleaned. discharged to the unit
Wafer processing system, characterized in that.
21. The method of claim 20,
The first wafer polished on the first polishing platen and the second wafer polished on the second polishing platen are both supplied to the first cleaning unit arranged in a row, and are cleaned by brush cleaning, a tornado nozzle, A wafer processing system, characterized in that after washing with pure water and carbon dioxide, a rinsing and drying process with an IPA liquid layer is performed.
9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 8,
a polishing process is performed on the first wafer mounted on the wafer carrier on the first polishing plate while the wafer carrier moves along the first guide rail; The wafer carrier moves from the first guide rail to the first carrier holder of the first connecting rail, so that the wafer carrier is moved along the first connecting rail by the third guide rail. In a state in which the first branching position can be moved to discharge to the cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit;
With respect to the wafers alternately supplied to the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit, the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit each undergo brush cleaning, cleaning with a whirlpool nozzle, and cleaning with pure water and carbon dioxide. A wafer processing system characterized in that a rinse-drying process is performed using the IPA liquid layer.
9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 8,
a first polishing process is performed on the first wafer mounted on the wafer carrier on the first polishing platen while the wafer carrier moves along the first guide rail;
The wafer carrier moves from the first guide rail to the first carrier holder of the first connecting rail, and the first carrier holder moves to a first on the first connecting rail spaced apart from one end of the third guide rail. when the first branching position is reached, the wafer carrier moves from the first carrier holder to the third guide rail, so that the wafer carrier moves to the second branching position of the third guide rail;
After the wafer carrier moves along the third guide rail, when the wafer carrier moves from the other end of the third guide rail to the fourth carrier holder of the second connection rail, the fourth carrier holder moves on the second connection rail. moving to the fourth position, moving the wafer carrier from the fourth carrier holder to the second guide rail, and moving the wafer carrier along the second guide rail, the first mounted on the wafer carrier a second polishing process is performed on the wafer in the second polishing platen;
After the wafer carrier moves from one end of the second guide rail to the second carrier holder of the second connection rail, the second carrier holder moves to the first branching position spaced apart from one end of the third guide rail. moving, the wafer carrier is moved from the second carrier holder to the third guide rail, and the wafer carrier is discharged to a cleaning unit via the third guide rail.
24. The method of claim 23,
The wafers, which have been polished on the first and second polishing plates, are all supplied to a cleaning unit arranged in a row, and are cleaned by brush cleaning, a tornado nozzle, cleaning with pure water and carbon dioxide, and then with an IPA liquid layer. A wafer processing system, characterized in that a rinse drying process is performed.

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